GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA - The Cabrini University baseball team forced a split with the hosting Gwynedd Mercy University Griffins this afternoon thanks to senior
Dustin Sutton's first career homerun.
Game One: Cabirni 3, Gwynedd Mercy 4
Despite the low score, game one featured plenty of drama as the Cavaliers fought back from a 3-0 hole to tie the game with two runs in sixth.
Sophomore
Zack Brook and
Garrett Laraia led the offensive charge as the pair each finished 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Sutton and classmate
Gil Peralta, as well as graduate student
Earl Kochel IV also marked the hit column.
Senior
Jonathan Baker toed the rubber for the start of game one and limited the Griffins to three runs on four hits, with four strikeouts, over 5.1 innings. Fellow senior
Mack McKisson was ultimately saddled with the loss following an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh. Out of the pen, the senior put in one innings worth of work and allowed one earned on two hits and a walk while striking out two.
Cabrini loaded the bases in the top of the first on a pair of singles and a walk but was unable to bring anyone home as both teams went scoreless through the first two and a half innings. The Griffins opened up the scoring in the bottom of the third on three hits and an error, 3-0.
Cabrini quickly answered, however, as Brook hit his team leading eighth homerun of the season to get the Blue and White on the board in the top of the fourth, 3-1.
After a 1-2-3 fifth for both team, the Cavs pushed across two more in the top of the sixth as Laraia got things going with an RBI double down the left line. Laraia made it home form second on a walk followed by a wild pitch to knot the game at three apiece.
Gwynedd Mercy and Cabrini would combine for just two hits across the next 1.5 innings, but with one out on the board and runners on first and third an RBI bunt proved to be the decisive hit in favor of the home team, 4-3.
Game Two: Cabrini 7, Gwynedd Mercy 6
The Cavaliers used a come-from-behind effort in game two, highlighted by
Dustin Sutton's long ball, to steal the 7-6 victory in the nightcap.
The offense was led by two hits apiece from seniors Sutton and
Gil Peralta as well as two from sophomore
Christian Strickland. Sutton, a Wesley College transfer, finished 2-5 on the day with his first career homerun and a double along for four RBI's and a run.
Graduate student
Steven Priest, senior
Mack McKisson, and freshman
Sean Glatts rounded out the hit column for the Cavs.
Strickland led things off for the Blue and White with an RBI single in the top of the second to quickly hand the Cavs a 1-0 lead.
The Griffins would respond with two runs, on a pair of sacrifice fly outs in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 lead. McKisson would answer for Cabrini with a RBI triple to right field in the top of the fifth to draw even at 2-2 and Sutton's aforementioned double briefly put the Cavs ahead by one, 3-2.
Gwynedd Mercy responded in a big way as the Griffins added four runs in the sixth to regain the lead on a grand slam by Nick Price, making it 6-3 in favor of the home team.
Not to be outdone, Sutton went yard the following inning for three RBI to tie the game at six all.
Follow a quick bottom half of the seventh, the Cavs' regained lead for good on an BRI single to left field by Strickland, 7-6.
Sophomore
Zack Brook pitched the final two scoreless innings for Cabrini, allowing just one hit while striking out two to get the save and the 7-6 final score.
Senior
Mike Valerio earned the start for the Cavs and allowed two runs, both earned, in two innings of work. Freshman
Jordan Silvestri collected the victory, and improved to 4-1 on the season, after four strong innings in which he allowed three hits two hits and four runs.
The Griffins Joe Golden was stuck with the loss after allowing three runs in 0.2 innings.
Following today's doubleheader, the Diamond Cavs move to 26-9 overall and 10-5 in conference play. They will look to add to their win total on Tuesday, May 3
rd, when they host Cairn University. Game time is slated for 3:30pm.
